


Practical Magic

by Elleth



Category: Stand Still Stay Silent
Genre: M/M, Mages Doing Dumb Things, Magic, Training
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-31
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-08-28 02:36:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8428027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elleth/pseuds/Elleth
Summary: Reynir has problems fighting. Lalli knows just the solution.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lunarium](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunarium/gifts).



> Your mention of Battle Couples in your letter inspired me. They're not quite there yet, but they're getting there. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy! ♥

Reynir and Lalli have been training since the beginning of their… Lalli calls it an agreement. Reynir calls it a relationship, at least to himself privately. (And really, there is little doubt about it when Lalli is above or below him, this close to coming undone completely from just the right touches or the way Reynir moves his hips.) 

But that is not what they're there for, he reminds himself as he slams into the ground of his Haven and the air whooshes from his lungs in a harsh breath. His rune wavers and dissipates under the last verse of Lalli's runo. Lalli gives him a look through the blue glow in his eyes that's probably equal parts resignation and amusement, then he ends his spell and makes a fart noise. 

Reynir nearly bursts out laughing. He only doesn't because failing to keep his rune stable is no laughing matter. 

"You are letting me distract you," Lalli says with a shrug. "Again." He is a good teacher all things and different kinds of magic considered, and he's so much better than Reynir thinks he'll ever be - but he's relentless and brutal, too. Military and precise, almost, which isn't really a surprise with where he's from and who he is. Reynir's woken up with bruises after some sparring sessions, when Lalli's words came flying at him like projectiles. 

"I'm sorry I'm so terrible! I'm tired!" Reynir answers, though it's not strictly true. He's frustrated, because the ghosts might catch up any day now, and he doesn't want a repeat of the first time. That --- _thing_ blotting out the sky of his Haven was enough for a lifetime, and he doubts that Onni will always be there to drive it back. Or worse, if it's not just after dumb, useless him, and attacks the rest of the team instead. That'd be terrible. Even more terrible. 

In response to his mood, because that's something he _can_ do now, the clouds have begun sinking lower, hiding the waterfall of Reynir's Haven, and pearling mist on the short grass that's gone a dirty autumn brown. The sun isn't even a pale disk through the clouds; it's hidden somewhere behind the hills. Reynir hangs his head and wipes his frazzled hair from his face. 

Lalli sits on the grass before him. "This is no good," he says with a gesture at the thick mist now enclosing them. Somewhere, forlorn, one of Reynir's dream-sheep calls. It doesn't get an answer. 

"I'm no good," Reynir corrects him. "I shouldn't have left Iceland, I should be mucking out stables at home, not trying to fight ghosts. That's all I'm good for." He could find something to say that would make Lalli hiss and leave him alone, but it's Lalli. He doesn't want to risk what they have. "Sorry," he adds for good measure. "I'm really useless."

"Not true," Lalli says. His fingers tug on Reynir's braid, and when he rises still holding it and starts walking with an insistent tug, Reynir doesn't have much choice except to follow. "Hey, where are we - I'm not a dog, you know?" 

Lalli looks back at him with an eyebrow quirked, and his mouth twitching. 

"Okay," Reynir concedes with half a laugh, trotting after Lalli's quick steps until they're by the gap in the hills that separates his Haven from the dream sea. Reynir's braid hangs slack between them as he moves to stand next to Lalli, who is perching on a rock and frowning out at the water. His eyes are glowing again, and with the way they are roving across the blank surface out there, he might just as well be searching for something. 

Reynir feels his stomach drop when Lalli picks up a stone the size of his fist and throws it far out, where it lands in the water with a deep gurgle. Reynir shudders when Lalli's plan, or what he thinks Lalli's plan is, starts taking shape. 

If nothing else, it reminds him of their first meeting. Or what could have been their first meeting, if not for the thing that had pulled Lalli und-

A sharp tug on his braid commands Reynir's attention. 

"Lalli, _what are you up to?_ " he manages before Lalli's lips press down on his, then Lalli inhales deeply as though he wants a share of Reynir's breath. "Save me," he says, and lunges forward inelegantly, disappearing head-first into the water. 

The ripples are widening and dissipating while Reynir still stands, twisting his hands before him. Lalli hasn't re-emerged; he's somewhere down there, and the water is almost calm and blank again. Blank like Reynir's mind. 

"Lalli!" he yells, and for the first time there's a blue flash in the depths, a swell of water on the surface that sloshes over Reynir's boots and soaks them. At least he's fighting, Reynir thinks, and then Lalli's plan becomes crystal clear in an instant. "Lalli you idiot!" 

If Reynir can't fight for himself, then he'll need to fight for someone else, and if make-believe won't work...

He remembers, before he throws himself in, that he can walk on water. 

There's a glow already rising, from the rune-disks in his braid, on his boots and on his coat, around his hands, mirrored in the water as he rushes out to where Lalli is fighting to stay alive down there in between oily slough that looks like - there's hands and skulls, and Lalli is going under; his eyes are bright blue and wide-open and bore into Reynir's before the thing yanks him further down.

"Don't drown, I'm coming!" 

The rune swells in light and volume and shudders with power around Reynir's hands. He's almost blind, it's so bright. And then - he lifts his hands, not sure what to do now - this isn't a protective thing, this has got all the anger and fear and fight that he doesn't find in himself very often, that's underneath the patience and kindness and the sweetness that his parents praise so and wanted to protect, and the staves of the rune pierce downward like spears and shear into the thing that dared attack Lalli. 

Abruptly the glow fades. 

There's a screech of the underwater thing that sets the entire surface rippling as it flees, and then like a flash Lalli breaks through the water and propels himself toward land, a mess of coughing on the edge of the sea on all fours, dripping salt water as Reynir pulls him to safety and into his arms and his lips to Lalli's that open against his in a smugly satisfied curve before another coughing fit shakes him. 

"Knew," he wheezes, "you could do it." 

"Never," Reynir manages before the exertion his rune needed catches up with him, and his knees buckle. He falls into the grass, pulling Lalli with him. His Haven starts fading at the edges. He's waking; that's not something he knows how to stop yet. 

"Never do that again!"


End file.
